Main Properties of Plastics

2025-10-23

Advantages:

Most plastics are chemically stable and highly resistant to corrosion, including resistance to acids and alkalis.
They are widely available, inexpensive, and cost-effective to manufacture. However, some types are soluble in specific solvents.
Plastics are durable, waterproof, lightweight, and strong, with good impact and abrasion resistance.
They are easily processed and mass-produced at low cost, and can be molded into a wide variety of shapes.
Most plastics are good electrical insulators with low thermal conductivity; some variants can also withstand high temperatures.
They often have a glossy finish, can be transparent or translucent, and are easily colored.
Certain plastics can be converted into fuel oil and gas, helping reduce dependence on crude oil.

Disadvantages:

Recycling is challenging due to difficulties in sorting different types, often making it economically unviable.
Many plastics have poor heat resistance, high thermal expansion, are flammable, and can emit toxic fumes when burned.
Most plastics are derived from petroleum, a finite resource.
They are not easily biodegradable and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Plastics often suffer from low thermal stability, dimensional instability, tendency to deform, brittleness at low temperatures, and susceptibility to aging.
The majority of plastics do not degrade naturally.

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